Review: ‘Chin Music” # 2

“Just do what I say and keep that body hidden.” Does that sound like something legendary Treasury Agent Elliot Ness or mob icon Al Capone would say? Mobsters, monsters, mysterious bullets, demons, dead gangsters and imminent mob wars are what are on tap in this horror-mobster mashing. That’s crazy enough to keep me turning pages in ‘Chin Music’ #2.

Dead mobsters piled on top of more dead mobsters. What do they all have in common besides being corpses? Bullets. Lots and lots of bullets. This tale of supernatural mob justice continues to unravel in gorgeous view of all to see. Tony Harris dark and deep artwork breathes in and out life and afterlife in every panel. It’s like an art show in book form. Take your time with each piece and take it all in.

The dead man walking (now with uber-tattoo’d skin) from last issue is named Shaw and finally comes face to face with Elliot Ness in this chapter. Steve Niles’ story is a fascinating mixture of American crime history that most readers probably know about and swirling in unearthly justice. Shaw is now a private investigator and tried to help Ness out with his Capone problem. Where these two connect is brilliant and insane all the same time. This issue is worth reading a few times. Niles’ ideas are so big and crazy it takes a few rounds for it all to sink in.

I feel like a lot has happened already in two issues thanks to these storytellers. Harris and Niles are cooking with gas in this story. That’s a good thing in case you weren’t sure. Each issue builds so much on top of the previous one. I can only imagine what this tower of insane creativity will look like when it’s all said and done. I have no doubt it will be a towering monument to unfettered imagination.